…equal exchange of love and respect, one that not only enhances the relationship but enhances who we are as individuals. To learn more about psychological defenses, fear of intimacy, and the fantasy bond, join me for the webinar “How to Go ‘All in’ in a Relationship.”…
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…, the first step in taking on this new confidence is shedding the baggage of our past, the critical inner voices that falsely feed our fears of failure….
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…, the first step in taking on this new confidence is shedding the baggage of our past, the critical inner voices that falsely feed our fears of failure….
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…Assessment of Suicidal Intent (FASI), a scale I developed with Dr. Robert Firestone and Joyce Catlett of The Glendon Association to test individuals’ suicide risk. Screening is important, as soldiers who are in trouble may be hesitant to ask for help from fellow soldiers or military superiors. As Dr. David Rudd wrote on March 3rd for USA Today, “The military is not a culture that embraces perceived weakness or illness; it’s contrary to the notion…
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…xious being vulnerable can make us. Many of us have deep, even unconscious fears of intimacy. There is real sadness and fear around allowing another person to really know us and to feel close to that person emotionally. Both intimacy and vulnerability challenge us to give up an old, familiar identity and form a new conception of ourselves in which we believe that we’ll be accepted for who we are. However, staying vulnerable helps us consistently r…
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…voidants.” According to Mellody, “Love Avoidants consciously (and greatly) fear intimacy because they believe that they will be drained, engulfed, and controlled by it.” Often these people were drained, engulfed or controlled by the emotions and needs of others when they were small children. Often avoidance does not show itself in the very beginning of a relationship. The “Love Avoidant” might be the one who initially comes on strong and does the…
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…ndependent of wounds from our past. We should seek to better understand, and develop more compassion for, our partners and ourselves. With these initiatives in mind, our fears of intimacy may still exist, but they will be greatly weakened in their effort to limit our pursuit of love….
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…r relationship or suffering pain and distress? This workshop with Dr. Lisa Firestone helps answer these questions by providing participants with a theoretical model that integrates psychodynamic, existential and family systems frameworks in a manner that can increase clinicians’ understanding of and ability to assist individuals in developing and maintaining intimacy in their relationships. Interventions are introduced that can lead to enhanced co…
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…ink of their fear of losing their partner. However, there is an underlying fear of intimacy that has an insidious effect on people being able to pursue a relationship to the fullest of their ability. They find it difficult to let things get too close or to tolerate loving feelings directed toward them. What makes this even more complicated is the fact that this fear can sit below the surface, so it isn’t entirely conscious. Instead of thinking, “I…
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…ess. Taking time to communicate and to reduce the impact of the illness on intimacy is the key to maintaining happiness despite health problems. One part of that intimacy is sexuality. What people don’t know is that with a life restricted by pain and illness, sex can be a powerful source for comfort, pleasure and intimacy. You and your partner can learn what is possible as opposed to what was once achievable by enhancing their sexual awareness, co…
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